“My first passion was football,” Owens reveals while walking around downtown Nashville in the above video. “I broke my arm and then I decided I wanted to become a musician. I fell in love with country music, I have a strong passion for country music. My granddaddy always had a George Jones record in his truck. I grew up listening to that — I had no choice.”

As Owens explains, country music is the way he lives every day and the way he was raised. “I know nothing else,” says the artist, who grew up singing in church.

Owens says his family, including his wife of 20 years, has always supported him. His kids have continued to push him to be the best artist that he can be. It was with their confidence that he persisted in pursuing a career in music, despite the many hurdles placed in his way.

One of those trials happened after he lost his prior record deal. Not sure he wanted to continue in music, Owens was slotted to play a concert in Alabama that Jones headlined. As it so happened, producer James Stroud was in the audience and loved what he heard. As Owens recalls, after the show Stroud approached him and asked if he wanted to cut a record.

“I thought a minute and was like, ‘I don’t know if I want to cut a record or not. I’ve been beaten down by the business,'” he admits. But he reluctantly agreed and soon found himself working alongside Stroud and Randy Travis, who served as executive producer on the project. That album, Where I’m Comin’ From, was released in December. Owens is of course grateful to have worked with the two legends.

“I thought about throwing in the towel. Many a night I laid awake in bed thinking, ‘Man, what do I have to do to make it in this business?’ It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he reflects. “I’ve had to work for it and it’s made me respect the business and respect the musicians and the hard-workmanship I’ve had to put in to get here.”

Owens’ album Where I’m Comin’ From is out now. “All the Beer in Alabama” is his current single and the third song released from the project.